Blacklight: Tango Down Review - Xbox 360

Game Description:Blacklight: Tango Down is a fast-paced first person shooter based in a new fictional universe called Blacklight. Utilizing the cutting-edge graphical power of Epic Games’ Unreal® Engine 3, Blacklight: Tango Down’s near-future setting is brought to life with disturbingly detailed and old-world architecture dripping with modern sci-fi lighting and brightly lit advertisements, an effect that causes each environment to appear both futuristically alien as well as hauntingly familiar.
Blacklight: Tango Down will deliver some of the most exciting multiplayer gameplay available in the shooter category and features numerous gameplay styles and functionality. These modes include traditional formats like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch & Control Point, with other modes being announced in the build up to launch.
Blacklight: Tango Down will set itself apart from other games by virtue of its incredibly deep customization features. Players will be able to alter and upgrade not only their character through experience gained on the battlefield, but also their weapons. Weapon customizations will unlock as the player gains skill and experience points and will include more basic add-ons like sniper scopes as well as more complex enhancements, such as improved accuracy.

Blacklight: Tango Down Review

A retail shooter minus the retail and the single-player mode, Blacklight: Tango Down boasts up solid multiplayer FPS action, but doesn't offer up a lot of innovation or surprises.

The Pros

Retail-quality graphics

Satisfying gunplay

Lots of gameplay options

The Cons

Basic leveling structure

Many generic elements

Lack of guidance for customization

There are plenty of gamers out there who just care about multiplayer, and it was with those players in mind that Zombie Studios created Blacklight: Tango Down. Imagine downloading the multiplayer mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 directly and you’ll get the idea of what to expect. No single-player mode, no disc, and no $60 price tag. But is it worth paying $15 to go fragfest-only?

Into The Fray

There’s little question that Blacklight: Tango Down offers up a multiplayer gameplay experience that’s on par with many bigger-budget shooters. The guns have a satisfying feel to them, the maps are all well-designed, and there are a bevy of multiplayer modes to choose from. As with most top-tier shooters these days, there’s a ranking system that rewards you with new levels and unlockables as you earn experience points from kills. There aren’t a lot of new ideas on display here, but the ones that Zombie included are winners. The main innovation, the HRV, allows you to see the position of enemies on the map, but you can’t shoot while using it. The HRV discourages camping and is perfect for a quick tactical assessment, but its drawbacks make it difficult to abuse.

The Problems of War

Despite the generally solid gameplay and the unique online-only focus of the game, things are far from perfect with Blacklight: Tango Down. It’s hard not to count the game’s disc-quality graphics as both a plus and a minus. It’s one of the best-looking downloadable games you’ll ever see, but once you consider that it's trying to resemble a game that shooter fans can pick up at the store, you’re inviting comparisons to those games. If you saw a friend playing it without knowing it was downloadable, you’d probably assume it was simply an dated-looking disc-based title. That aforementioned comparison to Modern Warfare 2 only stretches so far.

There are lots of customization options for Blacklight’s myriad unlockable weapons, but little guidance on how to effectively use them. You can store several weapon presets but can’t rename them, so you’d better remember which is which if you want two assault rifle loadouts. The ranks don’t come with CoD-style perks or other rewards beyond new gun and armor parts. There is a fiction to the world of Blacklight, but you won’t encounter it unless you read the dry in-game help menus. In short, there’s a general lack of polish to the supplementary material that supports the gameplay.

Lock and Load

Fortunately, the core gameplay at the heart of Blacklight is tight and enjoyable. The soldiers of Blacklight seem a little more fragile than the avatars in other FPS games, so expect lots of fast-paced matches with high kill counts and short lives. The well-designed maps lend themselves to a variety of gameplay types and encourage mastery of all types of weapons. In short, it’s a solid multiplayer game, though not without some shortcomings that bear noting. If you’re a single-player gamer there’s nothing for you here, but if going online to show off your skills is what you’re all about, you’ll probably get your money’s worth out of Blacklight: Tango Down.

Comments are Closed

The main reason I prefer this over most AAA shooters is this isn't one of those games that will have you constantly shouting BS at all the tactics others use. There isn't a MASSIVE amount of cheap crap you can do like in games like Modern Warfare or Battlefield. I've never gotten some mega killing spree by abusing a certain weapon or perk.

Well, the demo for this was freaking horrible. I saw what the reviewers were saying immediately. I would barely see someone and BAM! I was dead. I've never died so much in a FPS multiplayer in my life. Maybe with all the unlocks it is more fun.

But seriously, save the cash and get MW2 if you love death match. It's the deepest and longest lasting MP for death match (team or solo) I've ever played. I'm more of a Battlefield guy myself, but that's a much different experience from either of these games.

This game is okay, I personally think you guys are expecting too much. While the only 15 dollar downloadable games I've ever bought were Battlefield 1943, Castle Crashers, Braid, LIMBO, Shadow Complex, and Joe Danger, as I'm a cheap bastard, and I don't feel that a game the fourth of a retail game is worth my time unless it is highly lauded, this actually piqued my interest. It reminds me a bit of Halo 1 on the PC, and while I probably would never buy this (unless they drop it by 33%), it is good fun for a multiplayer game, and has more replay value than 1943 (I felt that it had an extreme lack of content, with only about ten weapons and four maps). I would rather recommend DeathSpank or LIMBO, among the three 15 buck games.

I tried to enjoy it. But I JUST COULDNT. Your character moves around the map with ridiculous speed making everyone look sill and the crosshairs above the ironsights on the guns are very distracting. These and some other fundamental gameplay issues make this hard to enjoy.

Blacklight Tango Down is garbage an let me list my complaints.1-can't custamize weapon in game need to leave.2-no lobby.3-can't join a co-op game ah la left for dead.4.no story mission acheivements.5-advertising an hype has already sold this game.6 It's just not great there are a plenty of other xbla shooters out there.Doom1 an 2 four a great single player game.bf 1943 for online.I wish i could get my money back for this game, but unfortunately i was suckered into the hype an advertising and the demo did'nt give me enough time. So peeps please heed my warning an don't get this, you will be a victim not a consumer.There are plenty of other shooters out there for fifteen bucks at game stop like ghost recon1-2 ,modern warfare ,left for dead an plenty of others so there you go.

Played the demo and was generally impressed. While it may not be earthshatteringly original as far as gameplay and features, the graphics are strong (especially for a DLC game) and the price make it a tempting option. It also has a unique feel- like a futuristic, computerized Call of Duty.

The only concern I have is the competition the game has. There are a LOT of multiplayer shooters out there, all competing for gamer's attention. Will a game like this loose out to Halo and COD? I'm worried that if I bought it, I might have to wait for matchmaking due to a low number of players. Will there still be an online community after purchasers max out their levels and get all the achievements?

To the dude who said this review is a little harsh well it is this g4 we are talkin about they give 90% of every non blockbuster game a 2 or 3 mainly a 3 bc it's right smack in the middle and it's a safe score not a great game but not a bad game and obviously they don't know what they are talking about bc they said there is no campaign or single player part at all well there is it's not much just for missions and not really much to it but there is one there and sumthin to do for single player only granted I would and no one should just by it for those 4 missions bc they aren't that great at all but to the dude who said this game is horrible bc he only got 3 kills and 24 deaths that doesn't make the game horrible that just makes him horrible at it if that's what your matches look like then they will most likely look like that on COD of BFBC or any other fps turn the sensitivity down then try bc the way they have it set is way to fast

wow its actually impressing because its just a fps its not complicated like cod for 15 bucks ? thats a great deal theres 3/5 fps that are worth 60 bucks so why not buy this dollar for dollar its amazing the maps look sweet and its all about the pricing

I agree with the review. To me, the game just isn't much fun. It is actually pretty generic and lacks any sort of features that will keep you playing other than some poorly developed upgrades. Not only that, but even though the developers promised DLC they have now said they are not going to support this game. So anyone who bought it better get used to what it already has because you aren't getting anything else for it.

I played the demo but I thought the maps were too small and there were too many spawn campers and very inaccurate weapons so you can't take out those hidden campers. major flaw that made me hate this otherwise good game.

If your a big fps multi-player this game is well worth the $15. Even if its just for new scenery, I mean come on, how many times can you play the same maps in cod or bfbc. I welcome a fresh map if the gameplay is good. Blacklight delivers that and goes above and beyond what I expected for $15.

I loved the concept behind it with the customization and everything but the execution wasn't great. it controls fast and the movement feels clunky. the Hit detection seems a bit off too. the biggest complaint is you can't search for matches with friends you have to find one and inv them and if the game is in progress they can't join. I'll wait for a price drop then maybe pick it up

I may be different but i thought this game was TERRIBLE. I downloaded the demo and played only 1 team deathmath game and i got 3 kills and 24 deaths. I will admit im not great at shooters but that was a mess. Every time i came in contact with the enemy i was shot down with a single bullet before i realized they were infront of me. I kept standing behind the turret and throwing grenades down the hall because that was the only way i could possible get a kill.

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